Thousands of civil servants in Kenya have been taken aback by an urgent directive from the Public Service Commission (PSC), requiring employees in senior roles—such as directors and principal secretaries—to secure a Master’s degree within two years or face dismissal.
Key Highlights of the PSC Directive
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Effective Date & Deadline: A circular dated May 13, 2025, obliges all government officers at grade CSG 5 and above (e.g., directors, secretaries) to complete a Master’s programme within 24 months—failure to comply will result in removal from office.
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Widespread Impact: The mandate spans personnel in ministries, parastatals, and uniformed services—including the police, NYS, KWS, and Prisons—who currently hold senior management titles.
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Policy Change Context: This marks a reversal from the 2020 system that emphasized on-the-job performance and experience rather than formal postgraduate qualifications.
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Official Justification: PSC CEO Paul Famba confirmed that the Cabinet approved the policy on January 21, 2025, aiming to close leadership competency gaps and enhance service delivery.
Implications & Reactions
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Work–Life Balance: Older officers—especially those in their 50s and beyond—face the challenge of juggling demanding Master’s curricula with full-time professional roles.
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Financial Barrier: Tuition at public universities averages over Ksh 2 million, with private institutions costing even more. This comes amid budget cuts to public sector training in the 2025/2026 national budget, as reported by Treasury CS Mbadi.
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Skill Enhancement Initiatives: To support this move, the PSC is promoting in-service training programmes like SLDP, SMC, and SSDC—aimed at fortifying strategic and supervisory skills.
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Political Appointees at Risk: Many politically appointed individuals—especially in the offices of the President and Deputy President—currently lack postgraduate credentials and may find themselves non-compliant under the new policy.
Famba emphasized that Kenya’s public service is committed to boosting efficiency and nurturing skilled leadership. However, he lamented that several mandatory training programmes had been suspended, which widened existing skill gaps. The new requirement, he stated, aims to reverse this trend.
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